Blood Test Question

idlehunters

I have to get a blood test before my next chemo session. I am assuming this is protocol before every session??? Also, if counts are not up to par do they still let you have chemo or what happens then??? Thank u

Jennie

kimby

Jennie
Jennie,

Yes, I get blood work done an hour before every onc appt and then chemo. Last time my white blood count was low so no chemo. I sometimes get a neulasta shot and still get chemo but not always. It just depends on what else is going on. Last time, I got a large IV of vitamins due to deficiency and that will continue for at least 3 chemo treatments. The combination was a problem.

Missing a chemo treatment is scary when you first have to miss. I've gotten used to it as missing one in a cycle and making them up at the end actually helps the process. It isn't a 'break' so the canzer doesn't get a foothold in that 2-3 weeks period. It also gives my body a chance to heal which is important, too.

HTH,

Kimby

Sundanceh

Blood Test Answer
Jennie
My situation differed from Kimby's. What happened to me was they would do bloodwork on Wednesday and then I wouldo or not do my chemo on Friday.

For me the issue was the BLOOD PLATELETS. If the platelets were too low, then it was NO-GO for chemo for me that week. Unfortunately the Oxy just killed me and wrecked my immune system and my platelets remain low to this day. Avgerage person has 150,000-450,000 ML, but mine have fluctuated between 50,000-80,000 and they never stay high anymore. They think that I have ITP, which basically means my immune system has been severely comprimised.

I had low white counts as well, I think everybody does. One time they gave me Neulasta and I had a bad reaction to that and had a a severe headache for 5 straight days 24/7. I never took that one again.

Everybody is different, and as I read everybody's posts, my treatments differ so much from everybody else's - it unnerves me sometimes, I wonder why I'm still here as I'm not getting the same thing or the same results.

But the bottom line is I'm still standing after 5 full years. I continue to search for the answers myself.

Hope this helps.

-Craig

luv3jay

I get bloodwork done prior
I get bloodwork done prior to every chemo session. I've actually had to have two transfusions so that I could continue my treatments because my blood counts kept dropping.

lisa42

bloodwork
Jennie,

As with everything, everyone's bodies react differently. I was one of the lucky ones who, in a total of 16 months of chemo, never once had to skip getting chemo due to my counts in my bloodwork. I did need a neupogen shot to help up my white blood cell count after two particular treatments, but I never had to skip any treatments. From what I've heard, I don't think that's common- I think most people do need neupogen or neulasta shots from time to time to help bring up their white count.
So far as when I got my bloodwork done... I always went to an outside lab and had my blood drawn the day before & they had my results by the time I got to my appt. the next day. Just within the past couple of weeks, however, I've changed oncologists and where I get chemo, so now they do my bloodwork right when I get there the same day, but I have to wait a little bit to get my results before they'll proceed with the chemo infusion.

Take care- you can do this!!

Lisa

Paula G.

Blood test Question
Good question Jennie, John gets his blood done the day he gets the Chemo treatment. He was going in a week after his treatment to have it done also. His numbers were good so they let him do it when he gets the Chemo. I am going to do a new post on what the list on the CBC blood work means. I don't know all of them and I am wondering if there is a web site that will tell me or if anyone here knows. Take care Paula G.

eric38

Paula G. said:

Blood test Question
Good question Jennie, John gets his blood done the day he gets the Chemo treatment. He was going in a week after his treatment to have it done also. His numbers were good so they let him do it when he gets the Chemo. I am going to do a new post on what the list on the CBC blood work means. I don't know all of them and I am wondering if there is a web site that will tell me or if anyone here knows. Take care Paula G.

I get blood work before
I get blood work before every chemo treatment an get the results immediately. They wait for my blood test results before giving treatments. I get erbitux every week and the rest every two weeks. My blood count has been low a couple of times before my erbitux treatment but they give me the erbitux anyway because it does not effect your blood count that much. My blood count has been so low on erbitux week that they have threatened to skip the next week but by the time the next week rolls around it is back up. So, essentially if your blood count is too low they delay treatment for a week. There are times i`d like a week off to get a little break but the cancer does not deserve a break. No mercy!

Eric